A Sudden Temptation
by xzotic
Summary: All Ino wanted was to live her life as a single, kick-ass kunoichi. But after another frustrating set-up by her dear mother, she suddenly found herself in the arms of Kiba, of all people. What the HECK is going on? A challenge fic.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hi all! This is rated mature for adult situations. It's a challenge fic and my very first "adult" sort of work so please be fair with the criticisms. I really felt out of my element… But anywho, onward with the story!

**Added A/N:** As an added warning, this chapter could very well be the MOST mature since I tried to get the challenge accomplished in one go. The following chapters are more tame and I'll be sure to add a warning at the beginning if it gets more mature. In this chapter, however, it should be obvious where the more mature parts are. You can skip past it to the end if you're uncomfortable. Just thought I would add this note since someone sent me a personal message about it.

**BTW, A Disclaimer:** These are clearly not my characters.

**A Sudden Temptation**

Yamanaka, Ino: age 22, occupation: ANBU's intelligence division. Her current predicament? Convincing her parents that she didn't need a husband to make her life complete.

Their latest ploy was to bombard her with a 'nice young gentleman' from town as she arrived at her family's complex for Sunday dinner. As it turned out, Shinzo Yuy was actually quite nice. He was very polite and even pulled out her chair for her as they settled down for dinner. They carried on with idle conversation as her mother excitedly pointed out things such as "Ino, did you know that Shinzo is a carpenter?" or "Shinzo, my daughter used to work as a healer, you know," and Ino was forced to hold back a groan at the woman's obvious attempts at matchmaking.

After dinner, Ino managed to politely turn down Shinzo's offer to escort her home, citing the need to "visit some old friends" who'd just returned from a long mission. As she came up with the lie, Ino was thinking of Hinata and her team who, ironically, _were_ coming back from a three-month mission that night. Maybe it would be a good idea to visit Hinata and catch up. God knows she needed someone to vent to. And that's how Ino found herself at her friend Hinata's house glaring at the one and only Inuzuka, Kiba.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she asked in annoyance. Kiba was standing at Hinata's front door apparently waiting for someone to answer his knock.

Kiba bared his teeth in an annoyed growl. "The hell's your problem? I'm here for a team debrief, I wasn't aware I needed your approval to go about my business."

Ino narrowed her eyes and chose to ignore his biting response. Kiba had always been extremely volatile and short-tempered; part of the reason that they never actually got along. Two volatile, short-tempered personalities could never happily coexist in close proximity.

"Kiba! You're late!" Hinata exclaimed as she swung open the door to her small, four-bedroom cottage. Her pale amethyst eyes widened when she saw Ino's cornsilk blonde head peaking up over Kiba's broad shoulders. "Ino!" she called out happily. She immediately forgot about Kiba and grabbed her old friend in a gentle hug. "How are you? What are you doing here?"

Ino smiled, happy to see the shorter girl again. Hinata was such a good friend, always kind and open-hearted and willing to lend an ear when needed. "I just left dinner with my parents and realized that tonight was the night you guys returned. Do you have time to talk? The Inuzuka said you guys were debriefing."

"The Inuzuka is still standing right here." Kiba's annoyance was complete as the two girls continued to ignore him.

"Of _course_ I have time to talk with you. Shino and I already finished debriefing since Kiba was so late. I can leave Shino to fill Kiba in on our official report while we go talk in my room!"

With that, Hinata led her into the house while Kiba was left to escort himself inside.

"Hinata, this place is gorgeous," Ino cooed in awe as she took in the elegant décor, the intricate woodwork and the light, airy feel of the place.

"Thank you, Ino," Hinata blushed as she opened the double doors to her private sitting room just outside of her bedroom. "I decorated everything myself so it's a great compliment to hear that I did a good job."

"You have great taste, really," Ino commented as she eyed a colorful flower arrangement on a glass table.

Hinata smiled in appreciation. "So how have you been, Ino?"

"Great!"Ino answered immediately. Then, thinking of dinner that night, her face fell slightly. "Well… sort of, anyway."

"What's wrong?" Hinata's concern made Ino smile and shake her head at her own stupidity.

"Nothing, it's nothing, really. My job is great, I just bought a new apartment, and Sakura and I have been having a great time tearing the town apart every Friday night – we're dragging you along this Friday, by the way – life is perfect!"

Hinata smiled hesitantly at the mention of that Friday.

Ino sighed. "Unfortunately, my parents keep rubbing it in my face that…"

"What?" Hinata asked gently as her friend trailed off.

"That I don't have a husband," Ino blurted out, "or even any prospects for a husband!"

She rounded on Hinata and frantically began gesticulating as she spoke. "It didn't bother me before. My boy crazy days ended with my teens and I'm having fun now being such a successful female ninja and hanging out with my closest friends whenever I damn well please. My parents are crazy to think I need a husband to complete my life, I've always thought that.

"But then tonight I show up for Sunday dinner and they have a guy standing in the entrance hall waiting for me. A set up! How desperate does that make me look? Honestly, Hinata? The guy was great and everything but I could never date him, especially not after my parents – excuse me, I should say my _mom_ – made me look so pathetically hopeless!"

Ino exhaled slowly and closed her eyes. "Nothing like your mom setting you up to make you feel miserable. I hadn't thought of it until tonight but, honestly, no guy has asked me out in a _long_ time. Is there something wrong with me?"

"Of _course_ not, Ino!" Hinata jumped in, shocking Ino out of her monologue. "There is nothing wrong with you so don't you dare think that. If there's something wrong with you then there's something wrong with all of us because take a look around: nobody on my team is dating anyone and neither is Sakura. What does that mean?"

Ino snorted. "Sakura already has her eyes on a certain Kazekage, though she's too stubborn to admit it. And as for you Miss I've-Been-in-Love-With-the-Same-Guy-For-More-Than-Half-My-Life, Sakura and I already know who _your_ husband-to-be is."

The blush that covered the poor girl's face was priceless. "Ino!"

As Ino burst into peels of laughter, there was a sudden knock at the French doors.

Hinata tried to compose herself as she called out a quick "come in" to whoever was at the door. Kiba came strolling in with a dark look on his face. He didn't even glance in Ino's direction as he approached his female team member. "I'm heading out. Shino's about to catch a fist with his face, otherwise." He bent down and affectionately ruffled Hinata's hair with one large hand.

With the air of shoving away an annoying older brother, Hinata swatted his arm away and ran her fingers through her hair to fix it. "Were you guys fighting?" she asked worriedly, "what happened?"

"Nothing," Kiba growled, baring his teeth as he turned, glared when his eyes briefly met Ino's, and left.

A few seconds later, Shino appeared in the open doorway with an odd smirk on his otherwise expressionless face. "I'm going home, Hinata, thanks for offering your home for the debrief."

"You're welcome, Shino," she answered, a bit dazed. "But, may I ask… what did you say to Kiba?"

If possible, Shino's smirk grew wider. "Don't worry about him. He's just aggravated, as usual, by his own temperamental emotions."

"What, exactly, does that mean?" Ino asked.

Shino gave her a sly look. "It's a guy thing, sorry."

With a raised eyebrow, Ino eyed Hinata as if to say 'your teammates have lost it, hon.'

"Good night ladies," Shino excused himself with a slight bow and closed the doors behind him.

"Men are so weird. Why couldn't they just put all of us girls together on a team? We'd probably get things done better that way, I swear!"

Hinata smiled at Ino. "You could be right, but I do love working with Shino and Kiba. We work so well together and I know I can entrust them with anything."

Ino scrunched her nose in distaste. "Even Kiba?" she asked incredulously.

Hinata giggled at Ino's expression. "Yes. Actually, especially Kiba. You may not see it, but Kiba is the most loyal, forthright and honest friend a girl could have. Shino can sometimes be quite secretive but with Kiba… I can always tell what he's feeling and he doesn't make an effort to hide it. I've always admired that about him and wished I had the courage to be that open with people."

Ino was staring at Hinata with an amazed expression. "Wow. I didn't realize that you admired him that much." She suddenly cracked a smile as a thought popped into her head. "You know, Hinata, you have a penchant for being attracted to the rugged, loudmouth type… does Naruto have some competition to worry about?" She smirked evilly at her. "Well… not that he would know about it, of course."

"Ino!" Hinata exclaimed in horror, "I don't have those kinds of feelings for Kiba!"

Ino held her stomach as she laughed. "I'm only teasing, hon, calm down," she managed to get out once the fit of giggles subsided.

Hinata, face still glowing pink, huffed a bit at her friend's outrageous sense of humor.

Ino let out a sigh and pushed herself to her feet. "Unfortunately it's getting late and I should be going home."

"Oh!" Hinata got to her feet to escort her back through the house. "It was great to see you again, Ino. Please, stop by and visit whenever you want."

"Thank you, Hinata. And thank you also for listening to my troubles… if you ever want to talk about anything, don't hesitate to find me."

Ino was smiling warmly as Hinata opened the front door for her. "I'll see you tomorrow, hon. Maybe we can get Naruto to buy us lunch… lord knows he can't resist if it's you."

Ino's laughter rang out as she saw her friend's face heat up yet again and she waved as she stepped out into the night. Hinata was truly a joy to visit.

Busy with her amused contemplations of Hinata's crush, Ino didn't realize that she was not alone until she nearly ran headfirst into Kiba's broad back. Kiba, whose dark clothes made him blend in almost completely with the dark of the night forest. Kiba, who was standing in the middle of the forest path and facing down the road as if he was desperately contemplating the meaning of life.

"KIBA!" Ino shouted in annoyance, immediately causing him to jump and whirl around.

"WHAT!" he growled back.

Ino saw his chest heaving in and out from the shock she'd given him and cracked a small smile in satisfaction. "Oh nothing. But you really shouldn't stand in the middle of the path like that when it's this dark out. I nearly ran straight into you."

Kiba gaped at her, caught off guard by the friendly-sounding tone.

"What are you still doing out here?"

His heartbeat returned to normal and he shot her a wary glare as he crossed his arms. "I was just… "he trailed off, wondering what he could tell her without receiving an 'Ino' response. He settled on intensifying his glare and muttering a gruff "never mind."

Ino rolled her eyes at his surly behavior. "Oh lighten up, Kiba, I was just curious."

"Yeah, and then in a few minutes you'll go psycho on me."

"Ex_cuse_ me?" Ino's cornsilk hair flew around her as her head snapped up and she met Kiba's bold eyes with outrage. "You wanna say that again, dog-breath?"

"No need. You've just proven my point." A satisfied smirk was tilting the right corner of his mouth as he stared down at her scorching glare.

"How dare you say something like that when I was_ trying_ to be _nice_!" Incensed, Ino balled up her fists and stepped closer. "I should knock you back down into whatever _kennel_ you crawled out of!"

Never one to back down from a challenge, Kiba stepped even closer with a menacing sneer. "Give it your best shot _flower girl_." The belligerent tone of his voice was daring and the way he said 'flower girl' made it sound like the worst insult in the world.

Without a single thought, Ino's fist went flying straight at his face, intent on breaking his nose. Unfortunately for Ino, Kiba's taijutsu skills were much better than hers. While she specialized in reconnaissance and information gathering, he was a tracking and combat specialist.

Kiba caught her wrist with little to no effort and an arrogant smirk on his lips. "Please tell me that wasn't a serious punch, " he drawled, lazily holding her wrist in an iron grip.

Ino desperately tried to smack the arrogant look off his face with her free hand and nearly cried out her frustration when he idly caught that wrist as well.

Kiba stared straight into her fire-spitting eyes and grinned, his canines sharp and shiny in her vision. "Are you done yet?"

Ino wasn't thinking of consequences. Her only thought in that moment was to cause some damage. Unconsciously calling on her chakra control as a healer, she raised a chakra-infused knee straight up into her adversary's most sensitive spot.

"MOTHER F-"

Ino watched in shock as Kiba dropped to his knees , holding himself with his face screwed up in intense pain.

She belatedly realized what she had done in her anger, and her first reaction was a satisfied smirk. She stepped over his prone body with a dignified harrumph thinking, 'that's precisely what he gets for antagonizing me.' But when she heard his low groan of pain, she paused and looked back guiltily.

She stood there for a few minutes, watching him slump over on the ground and groan some more. "Oh come on, Kiba, I don't think I could've hit you _that_ hard!" she finally exclaimed with exasperation.

His only response was to groan louder and let out the longest string of colorful expletives Ino had ever heard in her life. With wide eyes, she hesitantly approached him and knelt beside his supine form. "Oh, alright, roll over you big baby," she grumbled, grasping his shoulder and shoving him onto his back.

With a critical eye, Ino laced her fingers in a quick stretch before tugging his hands aside.

Kiba's eyes snapped open and glared at her accusatorily. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Healing you," Ino stated matter-of-factly as she rested both hands on his crotch-area.

"Ino what the fuck!" Kiba's hand shot out and shoved her hands away.

Ino could swear she saw red tingeing his cheeks. She smirked on the inside at the predicament she now had him in. "Kiba relax," she told him with an unassuming tone. "I'm a healer. If it hurts that much then I should really help you. It would go against my ethics as a healer, otherwise."

Without waiting for his response, she placed her hands once again over his crotch. Again, Kiba grabbed her wrists and held them away. He was sweating from the pain but he was also highly embarrassed. Shino's words from earlier were mocking him.

_Give it a rest, Kiba. The only reason you find Ino so annoying is because you want her so badly._

"Isn't there some other way?" he asked desperately.

'Oh there is, but there's no way I'll tell you that.' Ino smiled consolingly at him. "Sorry Kiba, Sakura's a much better healer than me. Maybe she would've been able to spare you some embarrassment. My chakra control isn't that great yet, though, so I can only perform this through close contact."

She gently freed her wrists from his grasp and watched his face as she slowly put her hands back on his crotch again. His eyes closed in defeat and his head dropped back to the ground as he tried to pretend that her hand wasn't there.

Green light flashed beneath her hands, and the healing process began. She saw the pain slowly recede from his face to be replaced by relief. She really hadn't meant to deal him that low blow but in a way she was glad she had. Operation Embarrass Kiba was about to commence.

Pretending that she was still in the process of healing, Ino kept a faint green glow emanating from beneath her hands as she slowly began to move them around a little. First, she moved them back and forth before slowly, so as not to alarm him, moving them sideways up and down the length of his shaft. 'The already _hardening_ length' she thought in surprise. She felt him shift his position a little and looked at his face to see his brows furrowed above his still closed eyes.

She smirked evilly. 'Well that didn't take much effort at all.'

Kiba was no longer in pain but he suddenly wished he still was. Ino's hands felt so _freaking_ good. The small movements she was making all up and down his throbbing manhood were driving him completely insane. 'Think unsexy thoughts. Think unsexy thoughts.' His mantra wasn't working, though. He could feel himself reacting and for some reason, it didn't occur to him that he could just jump away.

Ino found it very appealing that Kiba was getting this aroused by her handiwork. Whether he realized it or not, he had let out the sexiest growl during one of her 'innocent' little passes up and down his length. She was really starting to enjoy what she was doing to him on a whole new level.

Kiba could feel his hands digging into the soft earth beneath his body. Shino's words from earlier popped into his mind again. 'Fuck! Why Ino? Why'd it have to be Ino!' Suddenly, all thought process stopped as he felt a hand grip him firmly. His eyes flew open to see Ino, eyeing him with a challenge written across her beautiful face, confidently holding his cock in her right hand.

"Ino! What the –nnguh…" Kiba nearly lost it as she stroked him through the loose fabric of his pants and firmly pressed her thumb against the tip of him.

"Kiba, listen up closely," she demanded lightly. "I want an apology for your treatment of me earlier."

"Ino, stop it- ah!"

"I wasn't finished," she stated matter-of-factly as she continued to pump her hand. Through his haze, however, Kiba could tell that Ino was getting excited by his reactions. She was eyeing him with an inexplicable sparkle in her darkened eyes and her breathing was irregular.

"I want you to apologize, and then I want you to admit that you're very turned on right now."

Kiba glared up at her, his hard length twitching in her soft grip from his arousal.

"I can't hear you, Kiba," she whispered seductively, pausing the motion of her hand but keeping pressure on him as she lowered her eyes.

_You want her_.

In the blink of an eye, Kiba's hands shot out and grabbed her, shoving her to the ground with his weight and holding her wrists firmly above her head. "That was _not_ very nice, Ino," he growled, his eyes nearly black with his desire.

Ino squirmed beneath him, trying to pretend that she was very indignant. "Kiba! What the hell do you think you're- mm-mmph!"

Kiba couldn't have waited another breath to taste her pink lips. His hard mouth silenced her before she even had a chance to process his intent. Ino tried valiantly to resist him but he was kissing her in such a way that all of her senses seemed to implode all at once. Her body responded to him seemingly of its own accord.

Kiba released her wrists as he felt her arching up into him, trying to get as close to his body as possible. His rough hands quickly detoured to her exposed stomach and slid down to her smooth hips as he groaned at her wild responses.

They were kissing fervently, nipping, licking, and moaning as they battled each other for dominance. At one point, Ino had grabbed both sides of his face and thrust her tongue straight into his mouth. A low growl emanated from deep within his chest and his hands slid down to the slits in her skirt and up to her bare thighs possessively.

Ino was in heaven. A wonderful pressure was building to a crescendo between her thighs and Kiba's hard body was pressed against her so deliciously that she couldn't resist a few moans of ecstasy. Kiba's lips suddenly trailed away from hers and began kissing her neck, breathing in her scent reverently.

"Oh God," she whispered when she could feel his hot mouth on the ticklish spots along her neck. "Kiba…" she moaned out as she arched against him once more.

Kiba hissed in a breath when the apex of her smooth thighs came into contact with his raging hard-on. "Oh, fuck…" he breathed against the soft skin of her cleavage.

Ino moaned at the feel of him right where she needed him most. She arched her hips more and squeezed his sides between her knees. She couldn't take this sweet torture, she couldn't even remember who she was at this point but she knew full well what she wanted. With impatient, shaky hands, Ino grabbed at the fabric of the man's shirt and yanked it over his head. Tensed muscles and bronzed skin greeted her hungry gaze before Kiba's dark eyes invaded her vision.

"Ino…" he whispered in a strained voice. He was attempting to form words apparently, but all he could do was stare at her in awe as his mouth opened and closed uselessly.

"Kiba, just shut up and do something already!" She demanded from a mix of frustration and exasperation. She saw something spark in his eyes just before his lips claimed hers once again. This time she felt something different about the way he kissed her. It was more desperate than demanding. And while it set her senses on fire just as much as his other kisses, she could feel this one pulling at something deep within her.

Ino's eyes popped open at the strange sensation. Her heart felt like it was swelling… and when she saw Kiba's eyes open to stare into hers… the look he gave her _scared the shit_ out of her! Frantically, Ino pulled away from his kiss, pushing her hands against his chest to create some distance.

Kiba's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What's wrong," he asked, his voice still husky from his desire.

The perfect sound of his voice sent a thrilling shiver up her spine but Ino jumped to her feet, fighting the urge to let her hands touch him again. "I can't believe this is happening…" she murmured as she desperately dusted off her rumpled clothes and tried to pick the blades of grass from her disheveled hair.

A strong hand closed around one of her wrists and Ino suddenly found herself facing a shirtless Inuzuka Kiba. The picture of him standing there without a shirt, his face serious and his eyes still darkened with desire and (gulp) longing… was almost enough to break her. She felt tears springing to her eyes.

What was this? What had they been doing? What had they _almost done_? In what sick and twisted world did she, Yamanaka Ino, make out in the grass and bushes with Inuzuka Kiba? Her thoughts were flitting around in her head at light speed and the only thing that she was certain of in that moment was her desire to get as far away from the situation as possible.

"… please, Ino," she heard him say. She hadn't heard what he had been saying before but she was far too panicked to care now.

"I have to go," she whispered quickly as she turned and sped off.

Kiba simply stood there, his fists clenched and his face slowly shutting off all emotion. "Why the hell did it have to be you?" he finally growled out, closing his eyes and exhaling a calming breath.

* * *

**A/N:**So there it is. I don't know if the challenge requires me to actually have them go all the way but I may put out another chapter if I can find the time. Some of you may be like 'where's the lemon!' but hey, one baby step at a time here people! I really wasn't sure how to write this! I got some very helpful pointers from my gutter-minded boyfriend... he provided me with so many LOVELY synonyms for a guy's manhood. Sigh, men. Gotta love them and all their perverted humor.

Please, let me know your thoughts. How did I do for a first time 'adult'-type story? If I did well enough, it would definitely encourage me to put out that extra chapter sooner. But until next time, this story is tbc….


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

"Ino!"

"Sakura, dammit, I'm right here! You don't have to yell!"

"That's easy for you to say considering I've been yelling your name all morning! Jeez, Ino, the point of volunteering to help me at the hospital is supposed to be to give me _less_ work! If you don't finish updating those patients' charts by five, I'll be stuck working overtime to finish them myself!"

Ino sighed at her friend's righteous indignation. She really couldn't blame her for being so upset. Her mind had been preoccupied all week to the point that she was doing more harm than good in her usual post at the hospital. She stared down at the stacks of papers piled on her station and determinedly picked up her pen.

"I'm sorry, hon. I promise I'll have this done by five." She began neatly updating the charts and citations with her renewed focus.

Sakura furrowed her brow at her friend's odd behavior. She could tell something serious was wrong. In fact, she could tell from since her friend showed up Monday morning on a day she was _supposed_ to be off that something was definitely wrong. The fact that Ino hadn't broken down and told her what it was yet was even more cause for concern.

Ino was a little startled when a chair was suddenly pulled up next to her and her pink-haired friend sat down. "Um, Sakura, don't you have patients to-"

"Nope," Sakura interrupted cheerfully, picking up her own stack. "I've done my rounds so until I get paged to the ER or ICU, I'm all yours."

Confused as to why the pink-haired medic would spend her rare down time doing paperwork at the front desk, Ino raised an eyebrow.

"So what's wrong?" Sakura asked immediately. "You've been out of it all week."

Understanding dawned on Ino's face but she simply shrugged and turned back to her paperwork. "It's nothing… really."

Sakura nodded, concentrating on her own stack as well. "The fact that you're hesitant to tell me, your best friend, means that it must be very serious. I just hope you aren't in any kind of danger."

"Sakura, it's nothing like that." Ino rolled her eyes. Yes, as a jounin and a high-ranked official of the intelligence division she had been in all sorts of dangerous situations over the years but there wasn't a single time she'd ever felt threatened enough to let it affect her work ethics.

"I just hope you know that you can talk to me about anything. I mean, I thought you already knew that but a little reminder doesn't hurt."

Ino frowned at Sakura. "Trust me. This is news that _nobody_ wants to hear." She wished her friend would just drop the subject. She finally had the whole experience with Kiba purged from her thoughts and Sakura's prodding was starting to bring it all back to the forefront.

"Well if it's so serious that it has you zoning out constantly at the hospital of all places, you really can't blame me for being concerned." Sakura glanced over at her friend's troubled face and sighed. "Come on Ino, you know I won't judge."

Ino met her eyes and slowly deflated at the concern reflected in those emerald green orbs. "You have to _swear_, I mean _swear_, Sakura, that this does not go passed the two of us. You got it?" she demanded in a harsh whisper.

"O-of course!" Sakura was a little taken aback by the seriousness in her friend's eyes. "What happened?"

Ino paused and turned to face her friend fully, leaning in close so that there was no chance of someone overhearing. "Sunday night I ran into Kiba at Hinata's house and as we were leaving we… sort of made out in the grass."

Sakura stared for a good ten seconds, waiting for Ino to give that mischievous grin of hers and say something like "Sike! Got you!" But silence passed and Ino's frantic expression remained. Finally realizing that her best friend was not joking, however, Sakura couldn't control the sudden burst of laughter from her own mouth. Once started, she began laughing so hard that she had to hold her sides.

Ino was flustered. "This is _not_ a laughing matter Sakura! God!"

"No… it really is!" Sakura gasped between chuckles. She calmed herself down, wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes. "Here I was thinking it was something serious!"

"What do you mean? This _is_ serious! We're talking Inuzuka Kiba here, forehead!"

Sakura immediately broke down laughing again. "Ino, the look on your face! You're really talking like the world has ended. I thought someone was threatening your life or something again!"

Ino scoffed. "A life threat, I can handle. That's practically a daily occurrence. But _this_? The whole earth has completely tipped on its axis! _That's_ the kind of insane phenomenon that would have to occur in order to compare with the unlikelihood of this situation!"

Sakura managed to hold back her laughter at her friend's incredulous reaction. It was clear that Ino was serious about how serious she thought the situation seriously was. So with the tension gone from her body now that she was sure Ino wasn't in any _serious_ trouble, Sakura smiled indulgently at the blonde. "So how did this happen exactly if the world didn't tilt on any of its axes? I mean, something must have happened in between leaving Hinata's and making out, right?"

Ino angrily picked up another paper and began scribbling information into the necessary spaces. "I don't know. One minute I was teaching him a lesson and the next…" she trailed off.

"Yes?"

Ino's hand paused and she stared blankly at the sheet of paper in front of her. "Fireworks," she mumbled in a faint voice.

Sakura's eyes widened. Ino and Kiba? Wait, now that she thought about it… two explosive personalities… what else would you get when you combined the two? A smirk spread across the face of the green-eyed girl, unnoticed by her companion.

Ino shook her head, shaking away the feel of Kiba's rough hands and the wonderful sounds he elicited when the right buttons had been pressed. "The next thing I knew we were sprawled out in the grass," she finished mock-indifferently.

"Wait, do you mean you…!" Sakura looked shocked at the new implication.

Ino just sighed guiltily. "No," she answered, "but that's definitely where it was headed."

"Oh." Sakura couldn't think of anything else to say. "Wow." Except for that.

Ino wilted. "The thing is… and what bothers me the most, is that it felt so _good_," she moaned. "I almost fucked Inuzuka Kiba right there on the forest floor!"

"Uh…"

Ino's and Sakura's eyes snapped up in shock to see Uzumaki Naruto standing with his mouth hanging wide open and beside him stood the Kazekage of Suna, Sabaku no Gaara, with his jade eyes wide and uncertain.

"We, umm, didn't mean to interrupt," Gaara spoke up as Naruto, for once in his life, could not utter a single word. "Naruto just wanted to stop by."

At the mention of his name, Konoha's most infamous blond ninja snapped to attention. "Uh- yeah! Heh heh! Umm… Sakura-chan! Look who's in town!" Naruto put a hand behind his head to scratch an itch that wasn't there as he grinned sheepishly.

Both Ino's and Sakura's faces were stained red at what they both knew the two men had overheard. Sakura was embarrassed both on behalf of her friend and from the realization that Gaara was looking at her curiously.

"W-welcome back, Gaara-san," she managed to get out. "This certainly is a surprise."

"Thank you Sakura-san," he responded with a polite nod of his head.

"Ah! Sakura-chan! I was going to ask if you were going out with your friends tonight, cause if you are I was hoping Gaara and I could meet up with you this time. Just thought it would be fun to take him to a few of Konoha's hot spots," Naruto continued to ramble on but Sakura wasn't even really paying 

attention to him. Gaara's open staring had her very preoccupied and as she continued to stare back she realized that a very cocky smirk was slowly stretching across his lips.

"Uh, Sakura-chan? Are you listening?"

Sakura's eyes snapped to her old teammate. "Oh, sure, Naruto, that's fine."

"Really? Great! So we'll see you later then," the blond enthused.

Sakura's focus was back on the red-headed Kazekage as she murmured a faint "mm-hmm."

"Umm… kay. Uh… bye Ino!" Naruto grinned uncertainly before dragging the quiet sand shinobi with him to the exit.

Ino shook her head and moaned. "I can't _believe_ they overheard that!"

"I can't believe Gaara's back in town again," Sakura mumbled faintly.

Smirking, Ino forcefully pushed aside her own embarrassment to focus on her pink-haired friend. "Well apparently there must be something he misses about this place… or some_one_."

Sakura glared at the blonde. "And what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

With an innocent expression, Ino leaned back in her chair. "Oh nothing. Just that it looked like the Kazekage couldn't take his eyes off of you."

The blush that stained Sakura's cheeks was quite amusing but inside, Ino was frantically thinking about a certain fellow blond, blue-eyed ninja. She desperately hoped that Naruto would keep his abnormally large mouth _shut_ about what he had overheard.

* * *

Kiba had never had visitors to his little house in the Inuzuka compound. The reasons being because, one, he didn't exactly come off as the hospitable type and, two, because his house was essentially a very small bachelor's pad with a kitchenette, a bar, a living room, and two doors that connected to his bedroom and his bathroom. There simply wasn't enough room to invite guests over unless it was the occasional village girl. So it came as quite the surprise when Kiba and Akamaru were interrupted from their late afternoon naps by the loud sound of someone pounding on his front door.

Both dog and master bared their teeth in irritation but Kiba got up to answer it anyway. As he swung the door open, Kiba was half-hoping to see Ino standing on his doorstep. But considering how actively she'd been avoiding him all week, he knew it was an unlikely scenario. However, he was still surprised to see blond hair when he opened the door.

"Naruto?" he blinked.

The blond in question grinned good-naturedly. "Yo! Kiba how's it going?"

* * *

Ino, Sakura and Hinata stood inside the oversized walk-in closet of Hinata's master bedroom, talking happily as they caught up on each other's lives. Ino and Sakura were already dressed to kill but they were more than happy to help Hinata choose something for the occasion of a night out on the town.

Sakura was sporting a silver halter top of elegant, shimmering fabric that clung to her torso flatteringly and swooped loosely around her neck. She wore a pleated black skirt that showed off her athletic legs and discarded on Hinata's bed was a matching, cropped, black jacket.

Ino had felt especially daring when she had gotten ready. She was determined to forget about anything relating to Kiba that night. Her long hair was down and partially curled in tendrils. She was wearing a glitter-gold tube top that clung to her so well that there was no need for added support, giving a nice view of natural cleavage. The top was cropped above her waist, showing off her creamy, toned abs. She also wore a pair of short shorts that barely covered her thighs and high-heeled gold sandals that gave her a boost in height. Her goal that night was to seduce the most handsome village boy she could find and get him to make her forget what that annoying Inuzuka had been able to do to her.

"So, ladies," Sakura announced mischievously, "I think we should have a toast before we step foot outside. In celebration of a reunion!"

Hinata giggled as she quickly pulled out the expensive bottle of champagne Sakura had brought with her. She was only wearing a blue satin robe as they stood in the middle of her huge closet but she didn't feel at all self-conscious around her friends. She poured the champagne into three elegant flutes perched atop the tall island in the middle of the space and handed both of her friends a glass. "To friendship," she smiled widely as she held her flute aloft.

"To us!" Sakura chimed with a grin.

Ino smirked at them, one hand perched confidently atop a cocked hip. "To who we are: smart, beautiful, _strong_ kunoichi!"

They each took a long drink of their respective glasses and smiled.

"Hinata, this closet is _amazing_!" Sakura declared for the umpteenth time as she looked at the rows and rows of neatly organized shoes.

"Thank you, Sakura. I hardly wear anything in here, though."

"Well, that's about to change now that me and forehead are here," Ino declared as she purposefully strolled over to one section of the closet. "We need something that will make you look ravishing!"

"But still feels comfortable," Sakura added as she shot the blonde a quick glare. "We'll pick out something that makes you feel confident, Hinata."

Hinata smiled hesitantly. She was excited about a girl's night out with her two close female friends but she was also a bundle of nerves at the thought of stepping outside her comfort zone. Hinata _loved_ to dance. But she had never danced in front of a crowd of people before! And leaving her favorite jacket at home? She couldn't remember the last time she stepped outside without a jacket covering her!

"Ah-HAH!" Ino suddenly cried, pulling out a vibrantly colored fuchsia top. It was an off-the-shoulder scoop-neck that was almost long enough to pass for a dress and scooped so low that it required something to be worn underneath.

Sakura grinned. "Nice work, Ino. We'll pair that with some black leggings and a black tube top or strapless bra. Hmm… shoes, shoes, shoes… oh!" Sakura pulled down a pair of black pumps with a three-inch heel and bold red soles. "Perfect!"

Ino had already picked up some calf-length leggings and a tight black tube top. She placed these items on the island before lifting a finger to her chin in thought. "Now hair…"

"High ponytail or messy bun?" Sakura instantly asked, setting the shoes down and picking up a brush.

Hinata stared between the two in amazement. Boy did they work fast!

"How about a messy high ponytail. With wisps?" Ino added.

"On it!" Sakura immediately took up Hinata's hair and began styling it into the proper do as Ino picked something up from the vanity station on the island.

"M-make-up?" Hinata asked in dismay.

"Just lip gloss, hon. We don't do huge amounts of make-up."

The lavender eyed girl smiled with relief as Ino approached her with the little tube.

"Done!" Sakura declared suddenly.

Ino gently swiped the shimmery gloss across her lips and smiled in satisfaction. "Me too. Okay, Hinata. You change and we'll be waiting in the bedroom. We told Naruto we'd meet them 15 minutes ago but they can wait."

"N-Naruto??" Hinata squeaked, her eyes popping wide at the realization.

"Didn't Ino tell you?" Sakura asked in confusion. "We're meeting up with Naruto and the Kazekage tonight."

"No! Ino told me n-no such thing!" the poor girl yelped. She turned her head to see the smirking blonde topping off her flute of champagne. "Ino!"

A tinkling laugh escaped the blonde's lips as she regarded her distressed friend. "Oh, re-lax, Hinata! The boys are just tagging along for a good time of their own. It doesn't mean we can't ditch them if we want. 

However…" here she cast a mischievous smile at both her girl friends, "If either of you decide to get up the nerve to have a little fun, I can make myself scarce while you two seduce your boyfriends." She sipped her bubbly drink with a playful smirk as she eyed the two blushing women.

"Ino…" Sakura sighed as she shook her head. She turned to the shorter girl beside her. "Don't worry Hinata, _I_ at least will be there for moral support. Forget about Naruto tonight and just have fun!"

Hinata smiled hesitantly at the thought. It was easier said than done to forget about Naruto Uzumaki when he was standing in the same room. Especially where she was concerned.

"Good! Now come out when you're ready!" Sakura grinned as she quickly grabbed her trouble-making blonde friend and left Hinata to change in peace.

"What, _what_?" Ino demanded as her abnormally strong friend pulled her into the bedroom before firmly closing the door.

"Why are you meddling?" Sakura immediately demanded.

Ino downed her second glass of champagne and scowled at the pink-haired girl. "I am definitely not meddling, Sakura. If I had wanted to meddle I would've damn well told that blond idiot myself how that wonderful girl feels about him. Same goes for Gaara… although maybe he isn't completely oblivious."

Sakura ignored the added comment about the Kazekage. "So why didn't you _warn_ her that Naruto would be there?"

"Because she can't go through her entire life ignoring the guy simply because she _likes_ him!"

"Well how would you feel if _Kiba_ was the one coming out tonight?"

Silence greeted their hushed conversation before Ino angrily pointed a finger in the other girl's face. "Don't you _dare_ mention that jackass's name! That's completely different and you know it!"

Sakura crossed her arms and met Ino's hard glare. "I'm just saying, Ino, that you shouldn't downplay Hinata's feelings that way. She doesn't just have a crush on my obnoxious friend. It's much more complicated than that and we shouldn't force her if she doesn't want to be forced."

Ino rolled her eyes, propping her hand on her hip. "After more than ten years, you're telling me she doesn't want to be forced?" she demanded incredulously.

Sakura smiled indulgently. "Okay, I see your point. But _still_-…"

The closet door gently opened at that moment, though, cutting off whatever Sakura had been about to say. Hinata slowly stepped into the room with a soft smile that clearly showed how pleased she felt.

"Hinata!" Sakura breathed excitedly.

"You look _amazing,_ hon!" Ino grinned.

The Hyuuga princess looked like a whole new woman. There was no looking past the feminine curves under _those_ clothes. The bright fuchsia shirt Ino had picked out contrasted strikingly with Hinata's pale skin and dark hair. Her shoulders were completely bare and a hint of cleavage could be seen over the black tube top. Hinata had chosen a white gold chain with a heavy pendant attached that fell right over the swell of her breasts. In her right hand was a small, shimmering black wristlet purse. It was clear from the warm smile on her face that the heiress was feeling very comfortable with her new look.

"Ladies," Ino announced with a smirk. "I believe this night has officially begun!"

* * *

Naruto impatiently checked his watch for the fifth time and glanced to his side at his silent friend.

"They're late," Gaara stated. The monotone of his deep voice didn't indicate whether or not he was perturbed by this fact but Naruto could tell by the slight twitching of his left eye that the Kazekage was, indeed, annoyed.

"Yeah, I had no idea that Sakura-chan had started picking up Kakashi's habits. I guess we have no choice but to wait for them." Naruto fidgeted with the collar of his shirt a bit. He was wearing a short-sleeved black shirt that was tighter than he was comfortable with. "I can't believe she made me wear this shirt."

"It looks fine," Gaara stated simply, keeping his jade eyes cast down the road.

"Your's looks way more comfortable!" Naruto complained. The red head was wearing a sleeveless button-up that looked loose and breathable over his Suna-style pants and dark boots.

Gaara didn't comment.

"I swear, the only thing that makes me feel better is that Kiba has to suffer just as much."

Gaara glanced at his blond companion curiously. "The Inuzuka?" he asked.

"Yeah, I invited him along but he said he'd meet us at the place. Said he knew where it was," Naruto grumbled absently. He rotated his arms in the tight shirt experimentally and was surprised that the material didn't rip. "I should've never gone shopping with Sakura-chan. This was a clear mistake."

The sand ninja eyed his companion patiently before crossing his arms. "Why did you invite the Inuzuka?" he finally asked. "Wouldn't Yamanaka Ino be upset?"

Naruto furrowed his brow in thought. "Well, I figured since they were involved that it was a good idea to ask. I mean, usually Sakura-chan and Ino go out with just the two of them but since you and I were tagging along I thought it was a good idea to ask." Naruto tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Should I not have asked?"

Before Gaara could open his mouth to comment, he heard the sound of loud female laughter and looked up to see three beautiful women approaching them. His eyes immediately shifted to pink hair and his breath caught. His jade eyes looked down and he saw legs and gently swaying hips. Shukaku suddenly seemed to throw a fit, making his heart speed up and his stomach drop.

Naruto was first to speak. "Wow! Sakura-chan, Ino! You guys look great!" he exclaimed, watching them approach with a broad grin. His eyes shifted to the third person. "Who's your-…" his voice tapered off and his eyes widened visibly as he met familiar Hyuuga irises. "H-Hinata?" he stammered in amazement.

The beautiful woman blushed at his obvious attention. "Um… hi Naruto-kun…" she answered softly.

"Wow," he breathed, eyes still focused on the heiress as the three girls stopped before him. "You look… really good."

The blush deepened and Hinata managed to mumble a quick thank you

Gaara's eyes snapped back up when he heard a gentle throat clearing. Sakura stared back at him with a soft smile and a slight blush. "You look very nice, Gaara-san," she told him.

Gaara felt it was difficult to breath. He inhaled slowly and managed a smile for the beautiful woman. "As do you, Sakura."

Ino rolled her eyes at the two couples and strutted forward purposefully. "Come on lovebirds, let's go! The night is young and I'm feeling adventurous."

Sakura and Hinata smiled at their friend's enthusiasm and hurried after her, the two men trailing after them, still in shock.

"Where to tonight, Ino?" Sakura asked enthusiastically. "Are we going to stay at the Celtic Lounge all night or should we hop on over to another club?"

"I'm game if you are, forehead. I'm feeling like a Latin beat tonight, how about you?"

"Latin?" Hinata asked interestedly, voice lowered so the two men behind them couldn't hear.

"Do I detect excitement Hyuuga Hinata?" Ino smirked.

"I _love_ Latin!" Hinata exclaimed, eyes bright with excitement. The excitement dimmed however when she realized one crucial fact. "But I've never danced in front of a crowd before."

Sakura grinned at the girl. "But Hinata, you're _not_ dancing in front of a crowd. You'll see, when you get out there it's just you and the beat. No one else matters."

"Yeah, so when you're out there with Naruto, make sure you make him _beg_. It's the least he can do after being such a dolt all these years."

"_Ino_!"

"What?"

Hinata glanced back frantically at the handsome blond to make sure he hadn't heard that comment and let out a sigh of relief when he simply stared at her.

Naruto furrowed his brow in confusion as Hinata turned back to her huddled conversation with her friends. "What do you think they're talking about?" he asked his companion idly as they continued following the girls.

"No idea."

"Is it just me or does it feel like we're being ignored." Naruto's eyes were trained steadily on the back of Hinata's head. He could not believe that this woman was the same blushing, stuttering, fainting girl who hid inside her oversized jacket even on warm summer days.

"I think we are." Gaara was looking anywhere but in front of him as he walked.

"Hinata looks really good."

This caught the Kazekage's attention and he turned to look at his companion with a slight smirk. "You said that already."

"I did?" Naruto asked with furrowed brows again. His eyes didn't stray from the Hyuuga's feminine form, however.

"Yes," Gaara answered, smirk widening, "You did."

The ladies led them through town, talking amongst themselves the entire way and all but Ino were completely oblivious to the appreciative stares they were receiving. Gaara and Naruto were attempting to reign in their tempers as multiple men cast leering eyes at Sakura and Hinata, respectively. Ino, however, cast flirtatious looks at the more attractive men and winked at the ones that were staring but were lacking in the looks department.

At one point, Naruto had tried rotating his right arm in the uncomfortable shirt once again and a loud gasp made him look over at a woman who was just standing there looking at him. He paused and turned to her. "Um… can I help you lady?" he asked. Maybe she was one of the few villagers left who were still scared of the 'kyuubi vessel.'

Imagine the blond's surprise, however, when the _older_ woman with the ring on her left ring finger lowered her eyes to his chest pointedly and licked her lips. "Yes you can…" she practically purred.

Naruto's mouth fell open in shock and a chuckle sounding from his left made him look over to see his red-haired friend watching in amusement. He quickly turned and grabbed his friend by the arm, pulling him in the direction of the girls and away from the horny housewife.

They caught up with the girls when they stopped in front of a wide, two-story building with a sign on the outside that read 'Celtic Lounge.' Ino looked at them curiously as they approached. "Where were you guys?"

Gaara smirked. "The female population is apparently very appreciative of Naruto's state of dress."

Naruto punched the red-head in the shoulder as he began chuckling again. "Not funny, Gaara! She practically molested me with her eyes!"

A chorus of giggles sounded from their three female companions and Naruto unconsciously found his eyes looking directly at the Hyuuga heiress again.

Hinata surreptitiously looked at how the tight-fitting shirt made the muscles stand out across Naruto's entire torso and cleared her throat at the sudden dip in the pit of her stomach. "Um… it looks… very nice, Naruto-kun," she commented faintly.

Naruto decided right then, that he very much liked the look in Hinata's eyes whenever she looked him over. A slow smirk came over his lips at the thought and Hinata blushed before turning away.

Ino rolled her eyes. "Alright, great. We've all established that we look damn good tonight so how about we go inside and have some fun?" She walked up to the bouncer at the door and flirtatiously handed him her identification. The bouncer smiled appreciatively as he let her pass and the others soon followed.

The Celtic Lounge was a fun atmosphere. The first floor was pumping out catchy pop songs for all the dancers congregated on the polished dance floor while the rest of the patrons sat and talked in the high seated open booths along the surrounding walls. The place was dark but all of the furniture, including the bar, was a pristine white and there was candlelight on the center of every table.

Ino spotted a free booth and pulled the girls over to it before anyone else could snatch it up. Gaara and Naruto followed at a slower pace and watched as Ino forcibly stripped Sakura of her jacket before laying it on the table. She then turned to the two men and grinned. "You two. Sit back, relax, and reserve our table for us. We're going out on the dance floor," with that, Ino began pulling Sakura and Hinata towards the dance floor. As they went, the blonde glanced back at them over her shoulder. "And if the bar girl comes around order us three appletinis!" she shouted over the noise.

Naruto and Gaara blinked in confusion as the three women disappeared into the crowd of dancers.

"Um, what's an appletini?" Naruto asked his fellow male as they dutifully slipped into the vacant booth.

Gaara shrugged.

* * *

Kiba wasn't sure what he was getting himself into. Never in his life would he have thought he'd put himself through something like this over a girl. And not just any girl, at that, but _Ino_, of all people. He sighed and ran another hand through his shaggy hair in aggravation.

If he was at all in his right mind then he would not be sitting at this bar at the Celtic Lounge, scanning the thick crowd with his keen eyes for a shock of long blonde hair. If Ino wanted to pretend that there was absolutely nothing between them, that what had happened Sunday night had been a total fluke, then who was he to come chasing after her. He didn't go chasing girls, girls always came to _him_.

'Besides,' he thought to himself moodily, 'if she wants to live in denial then there's really nothing I can say to her.'

It was then that Kiba spotted the Kazekage's unmistakable crimson hair and the loudmouth blond seated in one of the booths. With a tired and irritable look, Kiba decided to order three beers and head over to his fellow ninjas.

If he was really going to put himself through this, he was at least going to get his mind off of it until he was confronted head on by the obstinate blonde.

* * *

Ino really should have been having the time of her life. She'd never had to work this hard to make herself have a good time and it was more than a little bit frustrating. Apparently, every single man that she had danced with was missing something. And what that something was, Ino was damned if she knew.

Refusing to accept defeat, however, Ino had forced herself to smile and put the moves on five of the most attractive men she could find before calling it quits. With a sigh of defeat, Ino waved off another man asking her for a dance and joined her two friends in the middle of the dance floor again.

Sakura grinned at her and grabbed her by the hand in welcome. "That last one was a hottie!" she shouted over the pumping music, referring to Ino's last dance partner.

"Yeah, but he was completely stiff! All he did was stare at my ass the whole time!"

Sakura quirked an eyebrow in surprise. "You usually take that as a compliment!"

Ino rolled her eyes but couldn't think of a response. Instead, she turned her attention to the Hyuuga heiress who wore a blissful expression as she closed her eyes and moved gracefully to the music. Hinata had been extremely nervous and self-conscious when they first stepped onto the floor but now she appeared to be completely in her element.

Ino grinned and grabbed the heiress's hand, raising both hers and Sakura's in the air as they all danced to the addictive pop beat. "Fuck the guys!" she shouted so both girls could hear her. "Tonight is all about us and having fun!"

Sakura shook her head at Ino's antics but she couldn't deny the fact that it was fun with just the three of them. She definitely wasn't interested in dancing with any random guys tonight… though if they asked, she would be polite enough to oblige them _one_ dance.

"I think I'm ready for my appletini! You guys coming back to the table with me?" Ino called out after one song ended and another began.

Hinata smiled and nodded once and the three of them squeezed their way through the thick crowd to get back to their booth. Ino was slowed down as several guys stopped her to offer a dance or just to flirt and she gently turned them down with a sexy smirk or a playful wink, depending on her mood. She was the last to reach the table, but when she did she was forced to stop and stare in disbelief.

Red fangs tattooed on his cheeks, shaggy hair standing up rebelliously around his head, Kiba's canine-slit eyes stared piercingly into hers without blinking.

'What the _fuck_ is he doing here?' she thought furiously.

Without missing a beat, Sakura quickly grabbed her friend by the hand and pulled her over to the table, taking a seat and pretending that absolutely nothing was awry. She had slipped in right next to Hinata, and the heiress, knowing absolutely nothing about the tension between her teammate and her blonde friend, happily passed the other two girls a martini.

"Kiba! I didn't know you would be here," Hinata smiled excitedly as she took a sip from her first appletini.

Kiba's eyes shifted to his strangely euphoric female friend. "And I never thought you would ever come to a place like this, Hinata."

The heiress blushed at the implication. All the sweaty, writhing people on the dance floor and she had happily been one of them a moment ago.

"Hey! Back off Inuzuka, you're not her keeper!" Ino snarled, secretly pleased that she could find something to snap at him for. If only she could've had the foresight to see what a huge mistake that was.

Kiba's eyes immediately snapped back to hers and a haughty smirk that showed off his sharp canines spread across his lips. "Now you, Ino," he stated calmly, leaning back in chair. "You I can see in a place like this."

Unsure whether or not to be offended by this, Ino ignored the warning glances Sakura kept shooting her. "And what the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?" she demanded hotly, narrowing her eyes at the arrogant jackass.

Kiba shrugged, but the look in his eyes suddenly turned dark and intense as he kept her pinned. "I don't know… for some reason the sight of you enjoying working up a sweat isn't all that hard to imagine."

Ino couldn't believe it. Her entire face flooded with color at his pointed remark and beside her, she heard Sakura let out a gasp in shock. Across from her, Naruto looked decidedly uncomfortable and Gaara was looking pointedly elsewhere. Hinata stared between Kiba and Ino in confusion but thankfully decided not to comment.

Despite the sudden tension that descended upon their table at his comment, Kiba continued to stare pointedly at the blonde beauty, making no attempt to hide his interest.

With slightly shaky hands, Ino reached for her drink and downed the glass in one go before hurriedly getting to her feet. "You know what? I'm tired of this place," she aimed her comments at her female companions. "Let's blow this popsicle stand and head to that Latin club." With that, she quickly grabbed Sakura by the hand, who in turn hurriedly grabbed Hinata's hand, and made a beeline for the exit.

Naruto got up and shrugged at his male companions before moving to follow. Kiba threw back his last bottle of beer before following slowly after the Kazekage who wore a strange smirk of amusement on his face.

* * *

**A/N: **I have to admit, it was fun writing this chapter. Kiba is such a straightforward guy that I have fun throwing him into situations. The whole 'girls's night out' theme is something me and my friends do quite often and whenever guys try to tag along this is basically what we do... leave them behind if they can't keep up. Don't worry, though. The guys definitely catch up and at the next club they will actually make their way to the dance floor as well.

I feel the need to comment on something that one of my good friends pointed out in my writing. If you haven't noticed, I use 'blond' when referring to males and 'blonde' when referring to females. Traditionally, or historically, this is actually the way you're supposed to use the words but these days I guess we're veering more towards using 'blond' in a gender-neutral sense. So don't think that that's a typo or anything, I just find it hard to break with tradition in this sense.

Many thanks to my first four reviewers... you guys rock. Now I have to get started on my dynamics homework. Once again, not sure when the next update will come thanks to school but ideas are definitely popping. Questions? Comments? Praise? Critiques? Please feel free to leave them.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Awesome! 8 reviews! Since I really started writing this as a challenge, I didn't expect to get much praise for it. The Kiba/Ino pairing doesn't seem all that popular, after all. I love them, though, because they're so... combustible, lol. I'm really glad other people are enjoying it, too. I was happily able to find the time to write another chapter. The rest of today, however, will be committed to mechanics homework and, ugh, writing a B.S. paper for my core class.

**Chapter 3:**

Insecurity was not in Kiba's vocabulary. For that matter, neither was patience when his temper was riled enough. And boy, did he have a temper. Ino was trying everything in her power to keep herself and her two human shields as far away from the three men as possible. That unfortunately included having a line of dance partners for her and her friends.

So not only was he pissed that innocent little Hinata was happily doing the samba with some perverted little village boy, but he was forced to stand there and watch _his_ woman rub her body up against a different man every five minutes. He'd never experienced such a serious case of jealous rage in his _life_.

Kiba was no fool, however. The sometimes furtive and sometimes challenging looks Ino continued to briefly throw his way told him plenty. She still wanted him just as much as he still wanted her. Though that should have probably mollified him somewhat, the knowledge instead only served to make him _more_ pissed. She wanted to play this game? Okay. Let's show Ino how an Inuzuka plays.

Kiba turned to his equally bad-tempered companions with a barely contained snarl. "I need you guys to do me a favor…"

A good beat to salsa to was exactly what Ino needed to take her mind off of those piercing eyes that had been boring holes into her ever since she'd started dancing with her first partner. She was not going to let that canine get anywhere near her. This night was supposed to be about her _forgetting_ that stupid jackass! And what right did he have to stare at her like that anyway?

Her current partner spun her around so that her back was flushed against his front and they continued to do the fast steps in perfect rhythm, his arms crossed over her as he held onto her hands.

"God, that's hot," the man suddenly breathed in her right ear. "Baby, you really know how to move those hips."

The compliment should have made her smile… or something. But for some reason it simply irritated her. She glanced up to see if Kiba was still staring and she was surprised when she couldn't spot him. She nearly missed a step as her eyes frantically tried to search for him. Did he leave? The thought made the tension leave her shoulders but it strangely didn't make her any happier.

She had no more time to ponder her strange feelings, however, when her partner smoothly gave her an opening to spin on the third step and she took it gracefully. She peeked over at her friends who remained within reach and saw that Hinata was happily dancing with the same partner and Sakura was somewhat mechanically dancing with her third partner of the night.

Hinata met her glance and grinned, surprising the blonde who mischievously grinned back. Did Naruto have some competition?

Little did Ino know that a certain blond was thinking the same thing as he walked onto the dance floor heading straight for the lavender-eyed woman.

"So you mean to tell me that that gorgeous blonde is the reason that I'm graced with the presence of Hyuuga royalty tonight?"

Hinata looked back up at her partner, Shinta, with a slight sparkle in her eye. She stepped into a double spin and allowed him to swing her out in time with the fast music before she quickly spun back in. "Yes! I didn't know it would be this much fun!"

"Well I am _honored_ to be your dance partner, honey."

Hinata grinned and sashayed as she did the fast steps expertly and allowed herself to be pulled closer as they danced sideways for the next few steps. She was having so much fun conversing with Shinta as they danced, that she couldn't stop grinning. He was as much of an avid dancer as she was, surprisingly, and they moved together as though it was second nature.

"So how often do you come here?" Hinata asked as they came together again.

Shinta grinned at her charmingly. "The question, honey, is when are you coming here _again_? Because we _have_ to do this again!"

The Hyuuga heiress's face lit up with excitement and she was getting ready to give an answer when a loud throat-clearing interrupted them. The two dancers paused and turned to see a tall blond glaring at them with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his blue jeans. "Yo, Hinata," he stated in a deep, somewhat neutral tone.

Hinata's entire face flushed with color, and Shinta, picking up quickly on what was happening, stared between the two with interest.

"Mind if I cut in," Naruto demanded, keeping his eyes fixed on Hinata's and purposefully making it a rhetorical question as he stepped forward without waiting for an answer.

Shinta smiled slyly and dutifully stepped back as the blond hottie took the Hyuuga heiress by her hand and pulled her away. "I'll see you next time, Hina-chan!" he shouted after them playfully.

Naruto ground his teeth together as the stupid pretty-boy shouted after them. Kiba owed him _big time_ for this. He did _not_ want to see up close how happy Hinata was about having that guy pressed against her and whispering perverted shit in her ear. Shit that made her face brighten happily. He _really_ hadn't wanted to see that.

His end of the bargain done, Naruto waited until he had pulled Hinata far away from Ino before turning to face her. He didn't want to ask, he really didn't, but the words seemed to fly out of his mouth as soon as he looked at her flushed face. "Who was that guy?"

Hinata jumped slightly at the flat-sounding tone of her crush's voice. She couldn't find the words to speak through her fear. Why was Naruto so upset?

At her silence, Naruto moved his face in close to hers and stared straight into her wide eyes. "Hinata," he murmured gently, this time sounding slightly forlorn, "who was he? Are you… seeing him?"

Hinata found it hard to focus with his face so close. If she moved just an inch forward, she would feel his lips against hers… the thought made her mouth tingle with anticipation. But somewhere through her haze, she processed what he was saying and her eyes snapped back up to his in surprise. "What? N-no!" she cried out in horror.

Relief flooded Naruto's face and he closed his eyes for a moment, unconsciously placing both hands on her sides and pulling her even closer. "So who was he?" he asked quietly, eyes still closed.

Hinata smiled brilliantly, finally realizing what was going on. The man she had admired and fallen in love with from since childhood was _jealous_ of another man dancing with her. It was her first sign that Uzumaki Naruto might think of her in the romantic sense. Both Ino and Sakura had been dancing with other men, but Naruto was only concerned with _her_.

"Naruto," she spoke softly, "Shinta is gay."

Naruto's eyes flew open at that and he grinned at her unabashedly. "Seriously?"

Hinata gave a slight nod and blushed even more.

Blue eyes were alight with glee as they stared back at her. Their proximity was so close now, however, that their noses brushed against each other at one point. And that was the catalyst that changed everything.

Like a magnet, Naruto's eyes were drawn down to her trembling lips and she sucked in a breath at the new and exhilarating look on his face. Her whole body now quivered with fear and anticipation. She knew he could feel it.

"Hinata…?" he breathed, slowly bringing his eyes back up to hers. His normally calm blue eyes were suddenly turbulent and darkened by a torrent of emotions.

"Y-y… yes, Naruto?" she managed to answer him. The edges of her vision were blurring and the only thing she could see was her Naruto's handsome face.

His eyes fell back to her lips and she nervously flicked her tongue out to moisten them. That was a huge mistake. Before she could react in any way, his mouth was desperately pressed against hers and both his hands had moved to her back, pulling her roughly up against his chest.

* * *

Sakura didn't know what happened. One minute she was dancing face to face with a new partner, trying to keep his hands from drifting to the bare skin above her hips, and the next the guy glanced over her shoulder and fell over on the ground in sudden fear before jumping to his feet and scurrying away. Confused, she turned to see what was behind her and came face to chest with Gaara of the Sand.

'Boy, when did he get this tall?' she wondered nervously. She glanced up and saw him looking down at her with tightly reigned anger in his cold jade eyes.

"Um… hi," she said uncertainly.

Without a word, Gaara grabbed her by the elbow and led her away.

"Hey! _Gaara_!" she shouted, planting her feet firmly and glaring at the back of his head.

Deciding that they were far enough, Gaara turned to her and glared. "What?"

Sakura's mouth fell open in shock but she quickly recovered and snapped it shut. Her emerald eyes were practically spitting fire through her rage of indignation. "Don't you _what_ me! What the hell was that about?" she demanded.

Any other time, Gaara would find her anger alluring but this time, his temper was boiling and nothing pleasant was registering. "Do you dance with strange men like that all the time?" he demanded.

Sakura crossed her arms, her temperature quickly rising. "I really don't think that's any of your business, Kazekage-_sama_! I came here to have a good time, _not_ to be manhandled!"

"Don't. Call. Me. That." Gaara forcibly bit out the words as he angrily drew closer to her.

Temper flared to maximum, Sakura's fist flew to the side and punched a large crater into the cement wall. Her sparkling eyes never left his. "Then don't _insult_ me!" she bit back evenly.

As Gaara watched her retract her hand, a slow smirk stretched across his lips as he realized something. He was angry, and she was not afraid. In fact, she was going toe-to-toe with him. Something about this situation made him very satisfied.

"What are you smirking at?" she growled at him.

Reaching up and slowly tucking a few strands of pink hair behind her ear, Gaara pierced her with the intensity of his jade green eyes. "I could really get used to this."

Shock registered on her face and she flushed despite herself. How the hell did his mood switch from cold to hot so fast?

Gaara's eyes narrowed seriously at her. "I don't ever want to see you dancing with another man."

"You can't tell me what to-…" Her temper had instantly flared back up at his outrageous statement but Gaara silenced her by placing a thumb against her lips gently.

"If you do," he continued dangerously, "I can't be held responsible for squeezing the life out of the next little shit who thinks he can touch you like that."

Sakura's stomach was doing somersaults, her heart was beating at an alarming rate, and her breathing quickened as she stared into hard jade eyes. She knew she should still be outraged by this possessive and irrationally jealous streak of his, but the look in his eyes as he stared at her was filled with a never-before-seen passion that scorched her. Was it just her or was it suddenly extremely hot in this little corner of the club?

* * *

When Ino looked up and realized that her two friends were missing, she knew something was up. She looked around, searching suspiciously for those vertically slit eyes.

"Something wrong, baby?" her latest dance partner asked, taking the liberty to pull her closer. She allowed it, but only in an attempt to hide. Why she felt like hiding, Ino couldn't tell you at that point but she had a sneaking suspicion that that damned Inuzuka was up to something.

"No nothing, I think I'm getting a little tired," she replied absently. Her legs were actually starting to feel sore after dancing all night in heels. She had been dancing non-stop to fast Latin music for at least two hours. Kunoichi or not, that took stamina.

"Want me to take you home?" he asked with a sudden leer.

That did it. Ino immediately stopped dancing and pulled away from the somewhat handsome village boy. "You know, I think I'm going to get something to drink. Thanks for the dance," she called out hurriedly as she turned and headed in the opposite direction.

Ino let out a sigh as she finally decided to resign herself to the facts. This night was a total bust. She couldn't forget about Kiba and what they'd done. Especially not now that his presence was lurking around. It just irked her that all of a sudden, _Kiba_ was the only man she could think about. She had seen plenty of hot guys tonight and not one of them had stirred a drop of interest in her.

Why Kiba? Why did she have such a strong attraction to him when before Sunday, she barely even acknowledged his existence? Sure he was attractive in that ruggedly handsome sort of way but there were plenty of attractive guys all over Konoha! What was it about Kiba?

Ino paused as she reached the edge of the dance floor. Her thoughts went back to Sunday night and she remembered the way he looked at her; the sound of his voice when he said her name…. God, he had a sexy voice! She shook her head vehemently and tried to re-banish those thoughts from her head. Kiba was bad news. They could never get along. Nothing could ever come out of them being together. She listed off all the cons she could possibly think of as she made her way to the bar.

Finding an empty stool, she slid in and signaled the bartender for a cherry blossom martini. All that dancing had made her lose most of the buzz she'd had from the champagne and appletini from earlier. She was hoping to remedy that now and walk home as buzzed as possible so she wouldn't have to think anymore. That was the new plan. Until…

"Now what kind of kunoichi doesn't notice someone sneaking up on her?"

The low whisper was spoken directly into her left ear. Feigning aloofness, Ino took a slow sip of her drink and calmly set it down.

"What do you want?" she asked flatly.

Kiba slid into the seat next to her and smirked, flashing a pair of sharp canines. "Doesn't look like you're having much fun, Yamanaka. Why's that?"

"Well there's this _dog_ that's been chasing me around," Ino started sarcastically. Kiba's smirk turned downright devilish.

"Dogs are known to be quite territorial, Ino. Maybe he's just guarding what's his."

Ino's eyes immediately jumped to his in shock. "Let's get one thing straight, Inuzuka," she snapped. "I am _not_ yours!"

Kiba's smirk never waivered. "Not yet you're not," he whispered, leaning in so she could hear him.

Ino could feel the vein in her right temple throbbing. Who the hell _had_ an ego that large? "Conceited, arrogant, egotistical…" she continued mumbling under her breath as she pointedly turned back to her drink and attempted to ignore him.

"Ino, seriously." His voice was now low and serious, and so close to how she remembered it that she had to suppress a pleasant shiver. "Why are you running from me?"

She sucked in a breath and closed her eyes resolutely. Why did they have to do this?

"So you just want to forget about Sunday?" he pressed when she remained silent. "You want to forget what we did? What I said to you?"

"Yes!" Ino shouted at him exasperatedly, surprising him slightly but making him scowl. "We should just forget it ever happened, okay?"

A shadow had fallen across the dog master's face at her answer. He'd had enough. This was clearly a rejection no matter how much he thought she was attracted to him. He'd been right to begin with, anyway. Chasing after a girl was just not his style. He turned away moodily and decided it was time to go.

Ino, catching the look on his face, rolled her eyes. "Oh come on dog-boy, I can't believe you're getting this worked up over just sex. I'm sure you have plenty of females sniffing at your doghouse."

Kiba's eyes narrowed as he caught and held her gaze. "Just sex?" he repeated, irritation making it sound like a low growl. "Did you not hear a word I said to you on Sunday?"

Ino's brow furrowed in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about, Kiba? After you jumped me you barely even said two words to me!"

"Ignoring the fact that you were practically giving me a hand job before I jumped you, I said a whole lot more than two words to you when you pulled away, Ino."

"I was not…!" she couldn't finish her sentence as she realized that, yes, her little act of revenge _could_ be constituted as a hand job. She felt her face heat up before she could control it. Huffing slightly, she tried to recall what he might have said that night as she was pulling away. Oddly enough, her mind came up blank and she looked back at him critically.

Kiba wasn't smirking at her discomfort. His face actually looked quite serious still.

"What did you say?" she asked curiously.

His feral-looking eyes widened momentarily in surprise but he quickly stood and shook his head. "No way. There's no way I'm repeating that shit, Ino, you're just gonna have to keep not knowing." He started walking away slowly, hands stuffed deep within the pockets of his jeans. "Besides, if you had really been interested, you would've said something to me yourself by now."

Ino was surprised that he was actually walking away from her. Whatever he had said to her on Sunday night must have been very significant. Her heart was beating rapidly at the possibility. Despite all the cons about their clashing personalities, was it possible that Kiba still wanted her that way? It was an extremely sobering thought… and Ino decided that she had to know… _now_.

Quickly standing up, she sped after him determinedly before he could leave her sight. He was walking slowly to the exit so she caught up to him in no time and grabbed him quickly by his elbow.

"Ino, what-!"

"Hold on," she commanded, raising her right hand in the one-handed seal of the ram as she focused her chakra and transported both of them to her apartment.

* * *

**A/N: **I was really thinking about having Ino do a _Shintenshin no Jutsu_ on Kiba to find out what he'd said that night but I think I have something better planned for the next chapter. Out of curiosity, does anyone else think Gaara and Sakura are slightly OOC or is that just me? I don't know why they wrote themselves like that (yes, when I write using a specific character I tend to say that they write themselves). I wasn't totally satisfied with how their part came out but I couldn't think of how else to change it. Sigh.

So according to my challenger, chapter 1 ultimately fulfilled the requirements of the challenge. Therefore, I don't have to get explicit if I don't want to and while explicit really isn't my style, we'll see what happens. Ino and Kiba may decide to write themselves explicitly, who knows, but I really want to keep it tamed.

I'm planning on two more chapters to finish this baby up. After school lets out, I really want to focus on finishing my Teen Titans fic.

Any thoughts on this chapter or others? I really want to hear them. Tell me what _you'd_ like to see in the next chapter and it might just inspire me.

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

_Warning: Mature content ahead people! The first part is safe but it goes downhill from the first kiss so be forewarned!!!_

_

* * *

_

Kiba tried to fight back the growl of annoyance that was building in the back of his throat as he landed in the middle of a cozy living/dining/kitchen communal space with Ino close beside him. Instead, he pulled away from her and kept his face carefully masked in boredom despite his immediate anxiety about the two of them being alone together.

"Ino, I don't have time for this. You made it clear that you wanted to be left alone so what's the point of bringing me here?"

Ino eyed him curiously through the darkness of her apartment. The moonlight shining through her living room window gave enough light for her to make out the bored look on his face. She wasn't a master of interrogation for nothing, though. She could easily tell that Kiba was trying to hide something behind that mask of indifference.

"Well?" he growled out.

Ino smiled serenely at him before slowly approaching, a calculated swivel making her hips sway. She took note that his eyes calmly stared straight into her eyes without wavering. "Kiba, I just want us to take some time to clear up this little misunderstanding," she answered him lightly. She nonchalantly allowed a graceful hand to rest against a stiff forearm as she stared at him innocently. "I suddenly realized that I'm very interested in knowing what you thought of that night."

He felt a twitch spasm through his arm at the simple contact but, thankfully, she didn't appear to notice. He, on the other hand, was noticing everything. Despite the darkness of her home, his sharp eyes could see every feature on her gorgeous face – including the slight quirk of her lips that warned him she was up to something. He also took notice of a lingering smell in the air… something very feminine and very appealing. Now that she wasn't surrounded by all of those losers and their god-awful funk, he could smell that familiar scent surrounding her and it made him want to bury his nose into her skin to take in a deeper whiff…

"So, Kiba, you claimed that Sunday night was about more than just sex. Tell me what you meant by that."

Kiba shook his head slightly to clear away the haze of his distraction. Did she seriously think she was going to get this information from him? "I don't know, Ino," he muttered disinterestedly, "why don't you tell me?"

Ino frowned at his suggestion. "Be reasonable, dog-breath, how could I possibly understand what goes on in that thick skull of yours!"

Kiba smirked, feeling back on familiar and firmer ground. "Is that an admission that you _don't_ know everything, Ino? Wow, and here I thought this day would never come."

Ino's face scrunched up at his self-satisfied expression and it was all she could do not to start lobbing insults at him. She had to resist falling for the bait, she realized as her fists clenched with the effort. If she wanted to extract information from the mangy mutt then she couldn't give in to his juvenile taunting.

"Something wrong, Ino? You look like you just smelled a skunk," he observed innocently.

"Just got a whiff of your breath, that's all." The words had tumbled out of her mouth like second nature. But it _was_ second nature to insult the arrogant berk, after all! Nevertheless, Ino blanched as she prepared to receive his next rebuttal and try _not_ to let it affect her this time.

Kiba merely smirked at her. "Good one," he said lightly, uncrossing his arms.

She blinked and gazed up at him uncertainly. "Um, thanks?"

"See? Nothing's changed between us, Ino," he stated, gesturing at the space between them as his voice took on a rough but placating tone. "There's no need to feel as though things are different between us. I'm still me and you're definitely still your usual bitchy self so how about we just forget all of the other stuff. Forget Sunday ever happened. Forget this stupid night ever happened. Let's just go back to the way everything was before where we ignore each other the best we can."

Kiba had to resist rolling his eyes at his own insincerity. There was absolutely no way he would ever be able to look at Ino from this day forward and _not_ think about putting his hands all over her or doing everything in his power to make her purr his name the way she had the other night. Despite his better judgment, Kiba had mentally marked her as _his_ since the moment he realized she could spark something in him that no one else could. He didn't imagine that there was any other woman in existence who could hold his interest this firmly, go toe to toe with him in a battle of wills, or make his blood boil in so many different ways…. He was completely doomed.

Ino shook her head in disbelief at his words. Was he serious? Forget it all ever happened? Was it really that easy for him or was he just pretending… because she'd spent this whole week trying to do that very thing and so far she'd managed nothing! She looked at him and narrowed her eyes furiously. She refused to let him off that easily!

"Kiba…" she purred seductively, blue eyes shining with a new challenge.

Kiba jolted back to attention as he felt two feminine hands press against the plane of his abdomen, warm and firm in their insistence. He met Ino's eyes and immediately recognized that dangerous look. The same look that had found him tackling her to the ground five days ago, in fact.

Grasping her hands, he quickly pulled them away. "I should really get going, Ino. Akamaru's probably waiting up."

"Going so soon, Kiba? But you just got here," Ino smiled vindictively as she stepped closer and watched his eyes dart across her face suspiciously.

"You were trying all night to get rid of me and now you're trying to seduce me again?" he asked dubiously. He didn't resist as she slyly wrapped both arms around his waist, trapping him against her. "What the heck goes on in that blonde head of yours?"

She met his eyes and silently commanded his attention with a serious look. "Humor me," she deadpanned.

His eyes widened slightly at the change in tone but he still didn't put up any resistance, more than curious as to what she was after.

"Kiba, I may come off as… easy or fun to you and every other red-blooded male out there… but let me make one thing perfectly clear," Ino's ice blue eyes were sparking with a silent fury as she spoke. Kiba was completely mesmerized by the unexpected sight. "I do _not_ take kindly to being toyed with. If this is some sort of sick game to get me to lower my defenses then you had better back off now while there isn't any bloodshed. Otherwise…."

As she trailed off, Kiba saw a look of uncertainty pass across those beautiful eyes before she could school her features. It hit him immediately what was going on. She wasn't toying with him, trying to play hard-to-get. She was trying to protect herself from the possibility that he was…. The thought trailed off in his head as a sudden spark of anger shot through him. What the hell??!

"You couldn't really be that stupid, could you?" he growled out, unconsciously baring his fangs in a snarl. When all he got was a narrowing of the eyes in response, Kiba angrily pulled away from her firm embrace.

"So you think that I came looking for you tonight to beg for sex, is that it? Is that what you're so bitchy about?" he demanded incredulously.

Ino propped both hands on her hips again and glared. "What else has this all been about Kiba? That's about the only way you've ever been known to interact with a girl. _Everyone_ knows that."

"I don't fucking chase girls around so that they'll have sex with me, Ino! In fact, I've never chased _any_ girl around in my life! And for the record, I have _plenty_ of other interactions with chicks. It's not my fault that they lose their appeal after a while."

"You're such a pig, Inuzuka. Did you seriously just say that? It's not your _fault_ that they _lose_ their _appeal_?"

"What the fuck do you want from me? So I've been with a lot of girls, does that mean I would stoop to playing mind games just to get into _your_ pants? Give me a fucking break! I'm not that desperate and you're really not that irresistible… especially not right now!"

The two of them were squared off, glaring balefully at each other.

"If I'm 'not that irresistible' then why the hell _did_ you come out tonight, Inuzuka? Why don't you just fucking tell me, huh? If you didn't do it for sex, then for what?"

"Uhhhgg! You are such a fucking pain!" Kiba shoved both hands into his hair and growled his frustration.

"You only feel that way because I'm calling you out on your bullshit. I can't believe you're trying to play this off like you've actually developed feelings for me! How gullible do you really think I am?" She demanded, tapping a perfectly manicured finger on the curve of her right hip bone.

Kiba immediately stopped his sudden bout of pacing and blinked his eyes blankly at her. "Gullible…? _Gullible_? Why the fuck would you have to be _gullible_ to believe that I had _feelings_ for you? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!"

"Not so dumb when it's you, Inuzuka!"

Kiba bit out a growl and angrily loomed closer to the stubborn female. "Alright, I've heard enough from you, Ino."

Ino eyed him warily as he kept moving closer. The look in his eyes was dark with his combined anger and frustration.

Kiba swiftly reached out and grabbed his prey by the arm. "If you won't listen to a word I say then I'll _show_ you what I mean," he groused.

Ino only had a second to panic before she felt the firm press of his lips against hers. Her first thought was to fight him off immediately. As she grabbed a hold of the front of his shirt, however, those first thoughts went flying out the window as she took in the sensation of his lips beginning to move hungrily against hers. She had to hold back a moan as her eyes rolled back in pleasure.

He pulled away almost immediately when he felt her sweet breath pour into his mouth. He breathed deeply in an effort to hold himself back from any further exploration of her sweet lips. He stared meaningfully into her cornflower blue eyes and felt his heart race at the sight of her softened expression. "Ino…" he breathed gently, feeling so many strong feelings at once that his voice sounded even deeper. "I… _really_…" he didn't know what he wanted to say but he knew it was very important, "I mean…."

Ino was looking into his eyes, desperately trying to figure out what he was trying to say.

Kiba cupped her face gently and looked down at her soft, sweet mouth. "I really do… _like_… you…" he mumbled, finally giving in and capturing her lips again. He didn't feel as though his words had been nearly strong enough but they were all he had to offer.

Ino closed her eyes and felt her pulse leap as she accepted his kiss. She had never heard Kiba sound more genuine. The look in his eyes had been more than honest.

Kiba's lips pulled up into a small smile just before he deepened the kiss further. His hot tongue caressed the inside of her upper lip, grazing her teeth gently as though testing the waters and then suddenly he was nipping at her bottom lip, twirling his tongue around her own, and angling his head to cover her lips fully with his own.

Ino let out a low, drawn out moan as their mouths melded together and she felt her breasts press tightly against his firm body. He was leaning over her precariously and his arms were wrapped tightly around her waist to keep her from falling.

"Damn, that's hot," Kiba mumbled in between their desperate kisses.

"Just… don't stop," Ino ordered.

Kiba grinned and dropped both of his hands to her round bottom as they continued to kiss feverishly. Ino let out a little gasp when he suddenly pulled her thighs in and lifted her so that her legs wrapped automatically around his waist and his hot pelvis rubbed meaningfully against hers. A groan rumbled up from Kiba's throat as the sensation lit him on fire.

In a flash, he moved them quickly and desperately over to the large sofa where he laid her on her back and gripped both of her thighs more possessively. He was _so_ ready to sink into her right then and there but he had other plans for his stubborn, mule-headed kunoichi.

"There's not going to be any running away this time, Ino. Tell me right now… yes or no… do you want this or not?" As he said these words, Kiba was in the process of trailing his hot mouth all the way down the feminine curve of her neck. He kissed a path straight down to the curve of one soft globe before he reached up with one hand and teased the hardened nub that was poking through the tight, sleeveless top.

Ino was tossing her head restlessly and biting her lip to stop the moans that wanted to escape.

With slow, deliberate movements, Kiba eased the shimmery fabric of her tube top up and over one of her breasts, brushing his thumb against the rosy distended nipple before lowering his head. He paused and looked up at her meaningfully, loving the sight of her flushed face and quivering lips. "Well Ino?" he whispered, allowing his breath to ghost over her highly sensitive skin. "What's it going to be?"

Ino slowly opened her eyes and glanced down to meet his smoldering gaze. Part of her knew she wanted this more than anything in the world right now but another, smaller part of her was indignant at the brazen way he was taking control. Shouldn't she be showing him who's boss? Since when did she allow _any_ man to exert control over her like this?

Kiba bent down and took her waiting nipple into his mouth earning a sharp cry of pleasure as he pressed his tongue into the sweet-tasting nub and lightly nipped before sucking it into his hot mouth and releasing it with a slight pop. "Well?" he asked again.

"Yes, Kiba, yes damn it," she breathed out in frustration.

Kiba smirked devilishly, his sharp fangs peeking out at her. "Glad to hear it," he growled. In the next moment, he had both of her hands trapped above her head and he was kissing her into oblivion once more.

Ino felt as though her world had dissolved around her and the only senses that were working right at that moment were taste and touch. She could feel every inch of Kiba's body pressing into her, his warm hands traversing her own body freely and with complete ardor. She could taste the spicy, unique flavor that was Kiba's mouth and as her tongue danced with his fervently she decided that it was the best taste she'd ever sampled.

The two of them moved together perfectly in a restless dance. Slowly gyrating and curving their limbs around one another to be as close as physically possible. Warmth pooled in Ino's core when she felt Kiba's hardness press into her firmly and she groaned low and seductively as she instinctively pressed back.

In less than two seconds, Kiba managed to rip off her tube top with a frustrated groan and his fingers had gone to work on her white shorts as he vigorously kissed his way down her lithe body. Ino felt her womb clench viciously when the side of one of his fangs gently grazed a bare breast right up to the hardened nipple.

"Kiba-aaa…" she groaned out, shifting restlessly beneath him as he efficiently pulled off both her shorts and lacy thongs in one go, trailing kisses over her thighs and down to the straps of her gold heels as he went. When he rose back up, supporting himself on his forearms, he took in the sight of her reverently.

"Ino, you are so beautiful," he whispered. His eyes were glowing with intensity and open honesty.

"Kiba…." He captured her lips again, too turned on to wait for her to finish speaking. She, meanwhile, worked his pants loose before starting to tug impatiently on his tight t-shirt.

After finally dragging himself away from her addictive taste, he obliged her by swiftly tugging the confined shirt over his head. She happily snaked her body around his with a groan, enormously aroused by the feel of their naked bodies rubbing together.

"Kiba this feels so… perfect," she mumbled, busily kissing everywhere she could reach.

He held her to him and grinned against her ear. "That's what I've been trying to tell you for the past week," he whispered back. He rubbed his hands up and down her back, marveling at the smooth softness of her skin over lithe, well-toned muscle. She arched into him at his touch and he groaned as he felt the almost painful twitch of his arousal.

Feeling the hard length of him pressing against her, Ino decided she could wait no more. Reaching into his loosened pants, she confidently took hold of the aching muscle and smoothed her hand over the velvety hardness as she positioned her body.

Kiba gasped right into her ear when he felt her soft hand take hold of his throbbing flesh and he instinctively grabbed her by both of her round cheeks as he thrust into her at the same time that she thrust up, wrapping her beautiful legs around him. They both let out cries of satisfaction as he nestled his full length into the tightness of her warm enclosure. Ino felt as though he could split her in two, he filled her so completely, and all she could manage to say were a few incoherent sounds that not even she could understand.

"Fuck, Ino, you're so f-… _tight_," Kiba managed to growl out as he pulled her even closer, as if it were possible, and roughly slammed his lips against hers in a hungry kiss.

Ino felt her muscles clench around him in response and she kissed him back with a passion she'd never felt before as she began moving against him, undulating her hips to create the best kind of friction.

Kiba kept a firm grip on her butt as she began to move and he groaned into her mouth as he continued to feel her inner walls clench and unclench around him. He hadn't been this aroused by a woman since his days as a horny virgin and he knew he had to focus on her pleasure before he burst. He reluctantly pulled his mouth away from hers, thrusting in and slowly out in sync with the movement of her hips. Pleased by the heady look on her face, he slowly kissed down the column of her neck again.

Ino was in a very happy place. Every sensation, every nerve-ending was lit on fire and she could feel that elusive sense of completion just within her grasp. Kiba was doing everything right, even down to the speed and forcefulness of his thrusts. She didn't think she could feel any more aroused….

And then he took her left nipple into his mouth and used the perfect amount of tongue, teeth and suction to push her over the edge. When he heard her cry out and felt her walls convulsing around him, Kiba picked up the speed pushing into her deeper, faster, and harder. Her orgasm washed over her like a river and Ino thought she would burst into tears when the sensations kept coming. As he thrust and hit a particular spot, Ino screamed and felt her insides spasm once more, even harder. A _second_ orgasm! _That_ had never happened before!

Kiba smirked against her breast as he hoisted her up, changing the angle slightly as he leaned her against the arm of the couch and thrust into her again aiming for that spot over and over and over again. Ino's hands were tugging frantically at his hair as her walls continued to spasm in uncontrollable spurts and she continued to cry out. She shouted his name over and over again as he plunged into her and gave no heed to the strong grip her fingers had on his scalp.

Just when she was starting to come down from her second orgasm, her wicked partner thrust into her hard, hitting that spot again and remaining planted there as he slowly rubbed over it with small, controlled thrusts. Ino choked as, amazingly, her walls undulated around his flesh, muscles clenching even tighter than they had before. This time, Kiba couldn't stop himself from going over the edge with her and his thrusts became uninhibited and wild as his seed burrowed deep into her womb.

Ino felt a mixture of pleasure and pain from this third, unbelievable orgasm. Her inner muscles felt cramped and achy, never before having been exercised for this long. But she had never in her life expected to have _three_ orgasms back to back like that and they only got stronger after the first. As she came down from her extreme euphoria, she felt the comforting weight of Kiba's warm body pressed into hers, his hands still gripping her butt and his face nestled between her highly sensitive breasts. She didn't have the fortitude to move a single limb but she managed to lift a palm to his face tenderly, even as she felt her eyelids flutter tiredly.

She smiled as she rubbed a thumb over his tanned cheek and her heart just about burst when he sighed and shifted into her palm contentedly. That was the moment when she decided. Just as she was closing her eyes to welcome the deep sleep that was waiting for her with the gentle smile still stretched across her reddened lips, Ino decided that there was no way she would let this man go.

* * *

**A/N:** I am going to be completely honest. This story has been more of a challenge than I thought it would be. I'm fine with writing funny little arguments and funny situations but I am just not a professional lemon writer. I guess that's why they call 'em challenges, huh? It was good to prove that I could do it, though, even if it's not on par with the experts. Yes, people, it really did take me two months to write a draft for this chapter, then I walked away from it for a few months out of frustration and it finally took me about a month to tweak it to the best of my ability. I hope it meets with your expectations, though... I tried really hard!!!

Anywho, all that's left is an epilogue for this story and I'll actually have my first complete fanfic! Kinda weird that it's a lemon, though. Heh heh!


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